ZF Drives Commercial Vehicles Innovation to Shape the Future of Transportation

Friedrichshafen, Germany. ZF’s Commercial Vehicles Solutions division continues to set the pace for commercial vehicles technology by developing a new hybrid transmission to further support the transition towards decarbonized mobility. Forming part of the industry leading TraXon family, the TraXon 2 Hybrid from ZF will enable commercial vehicle operators to significantly reduce carbon emissions while still maintaining the capability advantages of a combustion engine.

With its extensive experience in developing hybrid technologies for passenger cars, ZF has the R&D capabilities to adapt these technologies into viable solutions for commercial vehicles. ZF’s ability to offer technological advancements across different mobility applications enables the CVS division to develop and produce key technologies for the commercial vehicles industry.

“In developing the TraXon 2 Hybrid, we demonstrate how synergies across our divisions enable us to address customer needs swiftly and flexibly to create viable technologies to decarbonize commercial vehicles efficiently,” said Professor Dr. Peter Laier, Member of the ZF Board of Management and responsible for the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Division.

“In doing so, we not only meet the shifting needs of the industry but also position ZF as a strong and reliable partner that is setting the pace of transformation with a very flexible portfolio and a very flexible production.”

One key advantage for ZF is its extensive product portfolio which caters to the diverse needs and applications of commercial vehicles manufacturers and fleet operators. From the innovative vehicle motion control system cubiX to the launch of a full range of next generation electric drives: ZF has always the ability to develop and industrialize innovation across its divisions – or even within the CVS division itself for different mobility applications. This enables ZF to offer attractive solutions for manufacturers to develop smarter, safer and more sustainable vehicles.

This strength, combined with its broad portfolio of products, has enabled the CVS division to record strong results in 2023, achieving organic growth of 20%, significantly outperforming the market which grew by 15%.

Towards zero emissions

With its next generation electric drivelines, ZF electrifies a wide range of commercial vehicle applications by offering different and technology open solutions for battery electric or fuel cell vehicles. Its E-Mobility Kit, which includes central drives, CeTrax 2 and CeTrax 2 dual, as well as its electric axles, the AxTrax 2, AxTrax 2 dual and AxTrax 2 LF, provides everything manufacturers need to produce zero emissions electric vehicles.

The AxTrax 2 can even be integrated into a trailer, ZF’s latest concept that effectively converts an ICE powered truck-trailer combination into a hybrid. The electric trailer can also extend the range of an electric vehicle. The concept, which is awaiting regulatory approval, can save fuel emissions by up to 16%, and even up to 40% when the plug-in variant is used.

The company also presented its new innovative Braking and e-Drive Synergy Program at the ZF Global Technology Day. The system optimizes the connection between the electric drive and the EBS brake control. The additional braking energy is used for recuperation, increases the vehicle’s range and also enables smoother launch capabilities.

Digitalization solutions

SCALAR, ZF’s digital fleet orchestration platform, enables fleet managers to orchestrate their operations through real-time, AI-based automated decision-making and efficiency improvement tools. OEMs can also benefit from data insights from SCALAR to measure the performance of their vehicles in real world settings. The platform can operate with human-driven and automated vehicles.

ZF’s cubiX vehicle motion control system for commercial vehicle applications translates driving instructions from virtual driver systems into real vehicle motion commands by the vehicle actuators. This ensures vehicle stability, safety, precision, and performance for CV configurations, including conventional and electric. The system was recently successfully tested in the field under real-life conditions with customers and partners, such as SAFE20 a project for automated freight yard operation.

Therefore, ZF simplifies in-vehicle implementation for customers thanks to its deep understanding and expertise for integration and system engineering, to enable ready-to-automate vehicle motion control and pave the way towards the software-defined-vehicle.

Towards Zero Accidents

ZF continues to excel in the domain of advanced safety systems. Offering the commercial vehicles industry’s broadest product portfolio, ZF is uniquely positioned to supply these technologies, from individual components to full system-wide solutions. Leveraging its safety platforms, ZF is able to supply the solutions required by customers to meet regional safety regulations. ZF was also able to take advantage of its technical expertise like radar and camera from its passenger car divisions, another demonstration of how ZF’s commercial vehicles division benefits from the shared competences from the other automotive divisions in the ZF Group.

Source ZF Friedrichshafen AG